Bulk Modulus Calculator
Work out bulk modulus instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
About Bulk Modulus Calculator
Bulk modulus measures resistance to uniform compression: K = -dP/(dV/V). Squeezing water by 0.45% under 10 MPa gives about 2.2 GPa, the accepted value - which is why hydraulic systems behave as if the fluid were rigid. Its reciprocal is compressibility, the figure used in acoustics and reservoir engineering.
Formulas
Bulk modulus
K = -dP / (dV / V)
Compressibility
beta = 1 / K
Worked example
With the default values below, Bulk Modulus Calculator returns Bulk Modulus of 2.2222. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Applied pressure changeminimum 0 MPa
- 10 MPa
- Resulting volume reductionminimum 0 %
- 0.45 %
Results
- Bulk Modulus
- 2.2222 GPa
- Same Modulus In Pascals
- 2.2222 × 10⁹
- Compressibility
- 4.5000 × 10⁻¹⁰ 1/Pa
- Volumetric Strain
- 4.5000 × 10⁻³
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Bulk modulus
- 3Compressibility
- 4Bulk Modulus= 2.2222 GPa
- 5Same Modulus In Pascals= 2,222,220,000.0000
- 6Compressibility= 0.0000 1/Pa
- 7Volumetric Strain= 0.0045
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the minus sign there?
Because volume falls as pressure rises. The sign convention keeps the modulus positive.
How compressible is water really?
Very little - about 0.45% per 10 MPa, so a kilometre of seawater depth compresses it by roughly half a percent.